Pipe cutter



ii blade holder,

y Patented luly25;, 1933 y JAMES T. n itis, or sULPHUBQMIivE; LOi IIS iAITA Plies Curran relates? to cutters j v has ifor its general object theprovision of a new and improved cutter particularly adapted to be lowered. into a'casingstuck in a 5 a well,and to cutthe casing intovanydesired number of sectionsinorder thatit maybe removed;

1 A pecific object of inventionisto provide l a cutter through which water or other fr' cleaningIandscooling fluidmay be forced at all times when it isin the casing; embodying a movablecutting blade, and means to feed theblade by gravity said means beingnorcally notify thefoperator when the casing has been cut; the construction and combina tion ofthe elements being suchthatthe gas ing is efficiently (cut in two sothatthe lower through which the l cutter may bejinserted easily-t9 again the casing at a lower j fOther fobjects willhereinafter appears a y l a 2 TheJprefer red embodiment of the inven- *j tions; Fig.2,"ahorizontal section on the [line 2%2of'FigJ1 Fig. 3,va"view similar to l 1, the parts being shown int-hei active posit ons; and Fig; 4, a detailed view of the 1 135 ,In the d wing'," th casingor other'pipe to be cut'in sections is indicated 1. The r p bcu r dy 2 WY Q PI an up e f ysectionf3 a-nda lower section 4'. The upper Q section 3 'may be connected xbysuitable 4 threads 5130 a string of tubing, not shown,

byfvvhich the cutter is'lowered into androtated in the casing; andtlirough which water :be pumped to the-cutter; The uper" and lower sections 3 a'nd are connected Q :4 f threadsb; and the lower 'lsection 4 maybe tapered as indicated for insertion the casing; if a Q Bet""en the *upper and lower sections 3 ana 4 of-thecutterbody is a partition 8,

J30 whereby'the interiorotthe cutter body is 9 and a low- L e w 1berlQ-..

Reciprocable in the upper chamber 9 is an actuator support "11 comprising a ring in which is s lidable an" actuator 12. The. actuator 12 comprises a rod extending downwardly throughthe partition 8 and into the lower chamber 10. The actuator 12 hasan upper solid section 12a, an intermediate IP81? j forated hollow section 127), andgalower hollow section 120. The sections: 12band 12 0 are connected by a collarc13 which normally 'restsupon the actuator supportlll and serves mally held in ts inactlve position and re-* leased by the water; and means to automatiposition shown by Fig. 1. Intheupper chamber 9 and about the actuator 1 2 is a springl l bearing atits lower end on. the

partition Sandatits upper endagainst the 7 actuator support 11, and serving to yielda-bly hold the support 11 in its active position. w y In communication with the lower chamber 10, the body hasa radial slot 15 'in-whicha bladeholder lfiispivoted at 17. Carried by thelholder 16 above itspivot 17 is acute ting blade 18 having a cutting edge 19 "ex tending upwardly andoutwardly from the longitudinal axis of the body. Carried by the holder 16 between the blade l8 andthe pivot 17 is aldog 20 having pipe-engaging teeth 21.

The actuator 12 has a wedge lor incli'ned portion 211:0 engage the holder 16andswing it on its pivot17 lfrom the inactive position shownby Fig. '1 to the activepositi'on shown by: Fig 3.: Whenthe Wedge 21 is moved by.

the spring 14: rfromutheposition shown by a 3 to the "position shown by Fig. '1, the

spring lTswings the holder 16 back on its pivot'lr' from thepositionshownby Fig. 3

tothe position shown by Fig. 1.

The numerals 23 and 24- indicate spacers that project radially from the body 2. The blade18andspacers QBjand 24 are at substantially equal"distancesvapart on the periphery of the body 2, and the spacers serve to -prevent objectionable lateral movement 2 of the cutter in the casing when it is in operation. v

The pipe cutter may be used as follows:

After the cutter body 2 has been lowered to the desired position in the casing l by the string of tubing, not shown, water may be pumped through the string of tubing and upon the actuator support 11. A portion of this water will pass at all times through the perforations in section 12?) of the actuator, and then downwardly through the sections 12?) and 120 and out of the lower end of the body to remove the cuttings and keep the blade .18 cool. When the vpressure of the water is suflicient, the actuator support llwill be moved downwardly against the resistance of the spring 14: and away from the collar 13. The actuator 12 is then free to be moved by gravity intoits active posi: tion, and, when it does, the wedge 21 will engage the holder 16, swinging it outwardly on its pivot 17 'to move the blade 18in'to its active position. The cutter body 2 will then be rotated by the string of tubing, not shown, and the casing 1 will be cut. \Vhen 'the casing 1 hasbeen "cut, as shown by Fig. 3, the dog 20 will engage the casing to resist further rotation of the cutter in the casing. The operator will be thereby notified that the casing has been cut. The pressure of the water may then be decreased to permit the spring 14 to move the actuator support 11 upwardly, whereupon the support 11 will engage the collar 13 to return the actuator 12 'to its inact-iveposition and as the wedge 21-will be moved away from the holder 16, the spring" 22 will return the holder 16 to its inactive position. The movement of the parts is from the position shown by F ig 3 to the' position -'show n by Fig. 1. The 'cutter may then be lowered to "any desired point in the casing and again operated to cut the casing at tl iatfipoi n t. Or the cutter may be removed from the casing, and theupiper se'cti'on of the casing may be removed rremthe well by any suitable fishing tool, not shown, after which the cutter may be lowered into the lower section of the casing to .Cut the casing again.

, It will be obvious from the foregoing that cleaning and cooling fluid may be forced through the cutter at all tii'nes'; that the cutblade is positively urged by the actuator into cutting engagement with the casing;

that the operator-will be. promptly notified when the pipe has been out, and that the apparatus" cannot give a false notice to that effect; that the cutting blade cuts the casing so that the upper end of the lower section 1a is flared, as indicated at 1"?) and the cutter may easily be lowered further into the easing, the cutting blade 18 being forced by the lower section 1a of the reasing back into ts inactivepositi'on if the spring 22 fails to function.

Various objects and uses of this invention, other than the above, will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A pipe cutter having a hollow body; a cutting blade movably mounted in said body; a blade actuator in said body and movable into its active position by gravity; anactu-ator support normally holding said actuator'in its inactive position and arranged to be moved by fluid forced into said body to release said actuator.

2. A pipe cutter having a hollow body; a cutting blade movably mounted in said body; a blade, actuator in said body and movable into-its acti'vepo'sition by gravity; an actuator support no'r'm-ally holding said actuator in "its inactive position and arrangedto be mo ve'd by 'fi'uid lor'ced into said body to release said actuator; said actuator having a fluid duct therein through which a port on of said fluid may pass to said "cutting blade.

3. A pipe cutter having a hollow body; a cutting blade movably mounted in said body; a blade actuator in said body and movable into its active position-by gravity; a resilient actuator support to yieldably hold said actuator in its lll'iLClllXG ositi-on and arranged to be 'moved by fluid forced into said body to release said actuator,

4. Apipe cutter having a hollow body; a cutting blade movably mounted in said body; a blade actuator in said body comprising a hollow 'ro'd movable by gravity into its active .positio'n; an factuatorsupport com prising a ring movable in saidbody about said actuator, urged upwardly by a spring; serving to yie'ldably hold said actuator in its inactive position, and arranged to be moved d'ow'nwardly by fluid forced into said body to release said actuator.

5.;A pipe cutter having a body; a cutting blade; a blade holder pivotally mounted in said body to s'wingsaid blade fro-in its inactive position in "said body outwardly a'nd downwardly into its active position; said blade having a cutting edge extending upwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal axis of said body; means to actuate said holder; and pipe engaging means to resist the rotation of said 'c'utter in the pipe after said blade has made 'a predetermined out in the pipe. v r

6. A pipe cutter having a body; a blade holder pivotally mounted in said body; a Cutting blade carried by said holder above its pivot; means to swing said holder outwardly on its pivot to move said blade into its active position; a pipe engaging dog carried by said holder above its pivot to resist the rotation of said cutter the pipe after said blade has made a, predetermined cut in the'pipe. vv 7. A pipe cutter having a hollow body; an

gactuator' reciprocable insaid body and movableby gravity intoits activeposition'; an

wardly onjits pivot to move said blade into v its active position.

actuator support in said body to yieldably hold said actuatorin its inactive position and arranged to be moved by fluid forced into said body to vrelea'selsaid actuator a blade holder pivotally mounted in said body swing said holder outwardly and down- 8. A piiaecutter having a hollow body av cutting blade movably mounted in said body; a blade actuator in said body and having a fluid passageway therethrough;

andan actuator support normally holding said actuator inits inactive position and arranged'tobe moved by fluid forced into said body to release said actuator; the fluid passageway in said actuator beingopen at all times and serving to convey to said blade a portion of the fluid forcedinto said body.

; JAMES T. ELLIS. 

